Page 56 of Redeeming Heart

Jonah nodded.

I don’t know why I smiled because it wasn’t something to smile about, but she sounded like a real badass. I just hope she didn’t kill somebody or did anything to jeopardize her future.

“Do you maybe know what she did?” I asked, without trying to make it sound like I was obsessed with her.

“Something about breaking a guy’s nose and fracturing a rib because he touched her inappropriately.”

I would have done probably the same or at least put him in hospital for a couple of months where he will be fed with a straw.

“I think it has to do with her mother, but she barely talks about her. Her father, less. It’s something we don’t ask or talk about and I believe it is hurting her.” Jonah explained and I noticed he really cares about her.

Jonah made his way back over to the benches when the coaches arrived and called all the players to the ice. “

Who’s that kid you are training, Hills?” Coach Tait queried.

“A friend of mine’s little brother,” I answered without knowing if Sasha and I were friends or not, but the coach didn’t need to know that.

“He has skill and perseverance. I will give him that.” The coach noted and I couldn’t agree more. He just had to find the right team that will support him and treat him as a teammate and not their punching bag.

I nodded. “Guess, it has to do with who his sister is, eh?”

I frowned at the coach’s observation, but he didn’t stay for me to ask him out about how he knows who Sasha was.

“What was that all about?” Jake asked.

“Asking out about Jonah and who he is,” I answered, fixing my gloves and pulling my helmet down.

I expected Sasha to be gone after practice, but she was still here with her friend and Jonah who didn’t bother joining them on the bench. I still felt like a fool for what I said to her the other night about not being taken seriously by the people she cared about.

Jonah just proved today that she was hurting and went out there to express her anger through things to catch her father’s attention. To make him see that she wasn’t alright.

Unsure of what I should do next and if she would talk to me, I decided to head over to the locker rooms.

“Do you know what this reminds me of?” I heard Jake mutter as he was making his way over to where I was seated putting on my shoes.

Not knowing what he was talking about, I kept my mouth shut and waited for him to explain.

“High school.” He shared.

I saw the knowing look in his eyes when I raised my head. “What are you insinuating?” I asked, standing up and grabbing my stuff.

“For the first time in years, you get a chance to get to know her, and here you are, in a foul mood instead of out there talking to her.”

I didn’t bother giving him an explanation or an argument. It wasn’t worth it.

“Are you at least going to tell me why you are avoiding her?” Jake asked following me out and staying close by making me a bit suspicious because I didn’t trust his plans.

“I said something that shouldn’t be left unsaid,” I muttered, shaking hands with my team when they said their goodbyes and continued making my way towards the exit, but Jake had better ideas.

“Hey, Sasha!” I glared at him when I glanced over my shoulder.

“Who’s your friend?” He asked when she greeted him back.

“Hailey.” She introduced and I tried not to stare when I noticed a tattoo on Hailey’s neck.

My eyes met Sasha’s briefly. I didn’t miss the questioning look in her eyes when I just nodded at them.

“Do you want to join us for a drink?” Jake tried and I felt like leaving him behind. I noticed from the last time Sasha isn’t much of a drinker and I didn’t know if Hailey was really into boys like him.

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